http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Ecuador , Quito , Quito en-us Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:55:03 BST Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:55:03 BST Booked a trip to Cotopaxi cot means neck and paxi is the moon twice a year the moon sits on the conicle volcano which is a active volcano about 2hrs drive from Quito. The plan was to drive up to 4000M and hike another 800M to a rest area from where on a nice day the view is supposed to be stunning. It was cloudy we've not seen the sun since we arrive hear it's rained every day the hike was http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-332066.html Sundays in Quito are quiet. They seem really quiet compared to the hustle bustle of the week. People sleep in businesses close and there are few cars. What made this Sunday special though is that the city closed down a couple of the main roads running through downtown and opened them up for bikersnot harley bikers bicyclists. My biggest regret of the day was not bringing my camera and not t http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-331207.html Hi to all the flights from Panama City to Quito via San Jose were pretty uneventfull apart from losing a nights sleep at Panama airport because the flight was very early and I had to be there for 3am so decided to spend the night there.Said a very sad farewell to Wendy who left on a flight several hours before mine. very down.The planes used by TACA airlines are like new. and put a lot of U http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-330827.html What a beautiful dayToday during girls program we took all of the girls to a park so they could have a day off from working. First they said it was lsquomuy cercarsquo and let me tell you the definition of cerca close for an Ecuadorian is very different than mine. It was a 20 minute walk but it was a 20 minute walk completely uphill and it was pretty steep the whole way. So when w http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-330585.html One of my new responsibilities this week is to run a study hour for the Colegio girls at night with another volunteer. We split up the group in half so I work with the primer curso girls 7th grade which I was excited about because I already have two of them in my computer class right now. Being twelve is such a tough age and Irsquom not sure why but I love working with middle school age http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-330584.html Hi Wendy the e mail I sent to you has been returned undelivered. Can you check your account and send something to 'dinosontour' etc etc so the link can be checked please All my love. Kev. xxxxx http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-330500.html Hola AmigosSo I decided to write this travel blogor at least start writing it. We'll see how far it goes and we'll see if anybody is interested in reading it. But for now I am writing in my friend Allison's apartment in eastern Quito in an area called Guapalo. I think it is the beginning of the suburbs of eastern Quito. Not far away from down town thoughmaybe a 45 minute walk and a 510 mi http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-329528.html Americans have a bad reputation abroad for being obnoxious and for thinking that everything is for sale. I however have found Brits to be way more obnoxious and rude. Case in point this morning. I was having breakfast at a nearby hostel with a restaurant attached and witnessed the following exchange. Staff You must pay for two more nights.Brit No I already paid. I paid cash. I only owe http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-329120.html Todayrsquos question of the day What do I say to a boy who asks me about his behavior in class in front of his mom and his behavior really wasnrsquot that good but I KNOW that his mom will beat him if I tell them the truthThe last two times it happened I decided to lie and say that he was good. BUT the boy does need to know that hersquos not behaving well so that he can improvehellip http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-327964.html ldquoThank God we donrsquot serve God with our feelings. Otherwise I donrsquot know where I would be.rdquo Mother TeresaIf I served God with my feelings I would definitely have already left the Working Boys Center. Luckily thatrsquos not what it is about. The last two days have been extremely hard and I finally broke down after my 5pm boys English class tonight. I broke down bec http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-327962.html This is my prayer every day. Open my eyes always. The problem with this prayer is that if my eyes are actually continuously opens it complicates my life tremendously. I am here because my eyes have been opened through various experiences such as the USMexico border in Immokalee Florida with the migrant workers and especially my work in Utah with Holy Cross.Right now I am in the middle http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-327960.html Sunday Arrived Quito after 10hr flight from Madrid at 4pm. Had prebooked a pick up and hotel Mercure Alamada 4. Weather was dull and spitting unpacked and had a light snack con dos cervesas. Need to take it easy as Quito is 3000m above sea level. Ive not suffered but Kay has been feeling tried.Monday Tours to the equitorial line where 38 each its about 30km north of Quito but at breakf http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-327415.html So today was the day I flew from Madrid to Quito to start the South American part of my trip. The flight lasted about 11 hours. Imagine. We nearly land in Quitoto the point that people are clapping when I doze off. Upon awakening I observe that we are high in the air. Then the flight map shows us heading from Quito to Guayaquil. I am thinking that I somehow managed to sleep through my exit on http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-327306.html heyso for the last ten days i have been at a place called macama in napo valley in calistoga california. it's been a swell time. 20 of us spent a 10 day retreat getting to know each other and getting to know ourselves. the daily schedule looked something like this...7 30 roll out of bed8 00 morning movement which was usually yoga the taoist five or dragon rolls over9 15 breakfast and cleaning http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-326906.html Well after Brazil here we are in Ecuador and its capital San Francisco de Quito. We arrived on Monday and very much saw Quito as a pit stop where to arrange our trip to the Galapagos from a few days affair. We should have known betterNot that there is nothing to see in Quito don't get me wrong. In fact it is very much a tale of two cities on the one hand Quito old town which is absolutel http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-326808.html Our experience in Ecuador began well we arrived at our hostel in Quito and although feeling the altitude set out to explore the town. Then at lunchtime on our first day we were the victims of a typical south american tourist scam and had our bag stolen. Annoyingly Andy had even read about this particular one but they are so organised and slick it was all over before we realised what was happeni http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-325995.html September 15Oh. My. Gosh. Today I witnessed a mother HIT her kid while he was in line for my class I have had such a problem with my 5pm boys class and a few of the boys are so frustrated that we are only walking and not even getting inside the classroom. So one boy told his mom that his brother was talking while I was talking and then the mom came over and yelled at him and then hit him http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-325988.html SEPTEMBER 8I welcomed in my 22nd birthday with the first day of school. What a crazy day Last night I found out that they had done my Monday and Wednesday schedule wrong so I had to change the teacher I was working with for Special Education. Therefore I had no idea what classroom I was supposed to be in and what kinds of kids I was working with. I am just an aide in that class so it reall http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-325985.html MY CONTACT INFORMATION ADDRESSLaura BradleyApartado 17013112Quito Ecuador SAAND MAKE SURE TO WRITE AIRMAIL ON IT otherwise it will take months ALSO do not send me packages because I have to pay as a tax the value of whatever is in the package maybe morehellip you can send big envelopes though. But if they think they can feel something of value in the package apparently they will take http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-325981.html Quito You can take the mosout of quito and then stick it on the local male population in this townThe country also has a penchance for pan pipe music....this combined with the over zealous facial hair would no doubt rate this place high on the romance stakes. Our visit to Quito wasnt quite what we imagined with jean being talented enough to pick up the worst lurgy the town had to offer. But http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-325293.html This week has been wonderful yet I hate when things end so I am becoming a tad sentimental I have been trying to see everything that I can before I leave for the Galapagos. On Monday we had a very relaxing uneventful day. On Tuesday I purchased a book which I would then be unable to put down for a very long time I read The Pact on tuesday and wednesday nonstop... along with a few visits to http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-325128.html HolaArrived in Quito after a nightmare 53 hour bus journey from north Colombia Thankfully I didnt have to do it on my own as Dave Australian guy from the Lost City tour was on his way to Ecuador too We got the overnight bus to Bogota with Alan Irish guy from the Lost City tour which was actually really comfortable and slept for about 11 hours which is a record for the bus o Then Dave an http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-325074.html Hello from QuitoWe made it to Ecuador safe and sound despite a long layover in the miami intlairport during which one of the control towers was struck by lightning...curious that there isnt any sort of precaution for a lightning strike. Our flight got in at 930 but on our drive to the hostel which goes through the heart of Quito we saw no more than 10 people outside apparently it is no http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-324422.html This weekend was fantastic I could not ask for anything betterOn Saturday we woke up really early and had to get ready for our big adventure. Monika Paul Tabatha Ruth Katy and I all crammed into the car and we started the two hour drive to Mindo The drive itself was incredible. We passed Mitad Del Mundo which is the equator We didnrsquot stop but it was still so neat to do. The road wa http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-323634.html Hola AmigosA lot has happened since I last updated my blog....I celebrated my birthday ...Im 25 now I visited my host mothers little hometown called el Chontal in the jungle I visited a natural hot spring in a city called Baos where we toured 6 waterfalls on bicycles and on our way to the beautiful city of Mindo another city in the jungle my friend got robbed on the bus I accused the r http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-323172.html I havenrsquot written in a few days because it has been quite quite busy Wednesday was another day of adjusting and wandering... which was fun and I got out a bit of my need for retail therapy... even though I didnrsquot really need therapy. Maybe we will just call it my need for buying more things from the rows upon rows of cheap little shopsThursday was really fun I bought the Lonely Plan http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-322895.html Today is my 4th day in Quito and it is getting better and better. I started spanish school on Monday and we have classes from 830 to 1230 each day with a 30 minute break to eat bread and drink tea. My teachers name is Maribel and we talk in spanish for hours I have a workbook and I have to read stories and talk to her about my life. I even have homework... imagine that Paula makes me lunch ev http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-321761.html Today was my second full day in Quito. We had pancakes and fruit salad for breakfast which was quite delicious. Tasha Lindy Jens Katy and I all of the volunteers went out to go to a little art display area in a park. There were tons of stalls with all sorts of little goodies. There were scarves for 2.50 and really cheap things. It is amazing since so many of these things would be really expe http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Quito/Quito/blog-321067.html